Closure operating and locking mechanism



Nov. 25, 1930. F. K. FILDES 1,732,345

CLQSURE OPERATING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed May 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1930. F. K. FILDES CLOSURE OPERATING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1928 2 Sheets Sheet swwmom I larly to mechanism of this character suitable fractional car load Patented Nov. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnnnnmcx xlrrtnns, or AL'roonA, PENNSYLVANIA CLOSURE OPERATING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Application filed Kay '23, 1928. Serial No. 280,056.

The present invention relates. to closure operating and locking mechanism and particufor use in connection with railway cars.

The invention has for its general object to provide a mechanism of the above mentioned character that is adapted to use in looking and present invention has been particularly de signed for use with containers of this. type the purpose being to provide a simple, rugged and efiicient mechanism which willstand up under hard usage and which can be operated with, facility; The specific nature and objects of the invention will become apparent here- ,inafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a container provided with operating and locking mechanism embodying the invention; i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary tront elevation-on a larger scaleshowingthe mechanism more in detail Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the lockin bolts; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the b0 t oper-' ating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of ating lever mechanism Figs.'7 and 8 aresectional views taken respectively on the lines 7-? and 8-8 of Fig.

the bolt operedges for handling the container by a craneor other lifting devi-ce. The containerisformed in its front side with an opening adapted to be closed by a door12hi'nged at one sideon.

Fig.1, shows a front eIeva-.

a vertical axis. When the container is seated on the bottom of a fiat gondola car the door extends within the side of the car, rendering it impossible to open the container without lifting it off the car. i

The door 12 is formed of a steel plate reenforced by horizontal transverse ribs 13, 14, 1'5

and 16 of a U-shape in cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and stiffened at the edges by angle bars 18. Secured in the 'corners formed by the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 18 and the margins of plate 12 are wooden bars 19 having beveled" outer faces adapted to coact with the inclined faces of Z bars 20, which define the top and sides of the door opening, and with the inclined face of the threshold plate 24, to effect a water ti ht joint, the wooden bars 19 carrying a suita le packing 20 for this purpose.

The door'is adapted to be locked by two vertically arranged slidable bolts 21 and 22. The lower bolt 21, which is considerably longer than. the'up'per bolt, passes through registering apertures in the ribs 13, 14 and 15'and through bushings 23 welded to the. opposite sides of angle bar 18, the angle bar of course being perforated for the passage of the bolt.

When the door is locked the lower end of bolt 21 passes through registering apertures in the threshold plate 24 and the base bar 25, the

extremity of the bolt bein beveled to facilitateits insertion throng these apertures. The upper end. of bolt 21 is connected by a link 26 to one arm of a rocker 27 the other arm of which is similarl' connected by a link-28 to the lower end 0 bolt 22. Bolt 22 is slidable in apertures of rib 16 and its end projects through bushings welded respectively to an le bar 18 and to: Z bar 30. The twoarm roc ter 27 is fulcrumed on a post 31 which has an inner threaded end extending through a hole in a plate 32 secured to ribs 15 and 16 and a nut 33. thereon for clamping the post to the platc, the other end of the'post being integral with a head 34 riveted to the inside of door plate 12.

Bolts 21- and 22 are operated by a pawl 35 which has a rounded end 36 operating in a slot 37 formed in bolt 21. This pawl is securcd'on the square end 38' of a shaft 38 which is journaled in a bearing 40 at one side of a housing 41 and in a bearing 42 riveted to door plate 12 near the edge thereof. Housing 41 constitutes a cover for opening 43 which is necessarily formed in door plate 12 gor the projection of pawl 35 through the oor.

The outer end of shaft 38 is offset to form a crank 44 adapted to engage in a keeper 45' locking position, such engagement'serving to wedge the door tightly closed. The keeper also comprises a flat vertical surface 47 oppo- I site the hook 46. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the crank extension 44 has a flattened inner side 48, the lower edge of which is adapted to contact the flat surface 47 of the keeper when shaft 38 has been turned through an angle of approximately 45 from the position shown in Fig. 9.

For operating shaft 38 there is provided a handle 50 which is loosely sleeved thereon. Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 it will be observed that the sleeve portion of handle 50 is cut away at both sides to form radial shoulders. At the left hand side the sleeve is cut away through 180 and cooperating with the radial shoulders thus formed are oppositely facing radial shoulders, displaced 180, formed on a sleeve 51 pinned at 52 to shaft 38. When therefore these shoulders are engagecl handle 50 is clutched to shaft 38 without substantial lost motion. At the other side, the sleeve of handle 50 is cut away through an arc of 270, forming a projection having radial shoulders 53 and 54 spaced 90, this projection being adapted to coact with a projection having radial shoulders 55 and 56 formed by cutting away the boss of bearing 40.

Riveted to the outside of door plate 12 is a bracket 57 having a horizontally projecting staple 58 adapted to extend through a slot in handle 50 when the latter is in locked position. The staple has a perforation in its outer end adapted to receive one or more seals or a padlock, or both.

The drawings show the parts in locked position. To unlock the door, the padlock,

or seal, is removed from staple 58 and handle 50 is rotated through an are 45, which of course rotates shaft 38 through the same angle. The rotation of shaft 38 through an angle of 45 from the position shown in the drawings is sufficient to withdraw the extremities of bolts 21 and 22 respectively from threshold plate 24 and Z bar 30, that is, is sufiicient to unlock the door. The rotation of shaft 38 through this angle brings the lower edge of the flattened portion 48 of crank 44 into contact with the flat surface 47 of keeper 45, whereupon by further rotation of handle 50 the leverage exerted by. engagement of these parts loosens the door, so that the latter can be easily swung open by pulling on handle50. The handle can now be thrown down flat against the door by sliding it to the right until its shoulders aredisengaged from the shoulders of sleeve 51, it being noted that the sleeve proj ection at the right hand side of the handle is brought out of alignment with the projection on bearing 40 after the handle has been rotated through an arc of 45 from the position shown in the drawings. It is desirable of course to have the handle fiat against the door when the latter is opened so that it will not be in the way rather than project out at an angle thereto.

Now having particularly described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A door locking and operating mechanism comprising in combination, a shaft journaled in transversely aligned bearings secured to the outside of the door and having a crank portion projecting beyond the edge of the door, a keeper secured to the door frame adjacent the door opening and comprising a hook portion adapted to be engaged by the crank when the shaft has been rotated from looking position through a predetermined angle, a slidable bolt mounted on the inside of the door operatively connected to said shaft, the outer end of said bolt being adapted to engage the door frame and lock the door, rotation of said shaft through said predetermined angle being sufficient to withdraw said bolt from the frame, whereby further rotation of said shaft by engaging said crank with said abutment loosens the door, and a handle operatively connected to said shaft.

2. In combination with a sheet metal container having a sheet metal door hinged at one side on a vertical axis, a shaft rotatable in horizontally aligned bearings secured to the "outside of the door and having a crank portion projecting beyondthe edge of the door, a keeper secured to the container adjacent the door opening adapted to receive said crank portion, an arm secured to the inner end of said shaft and projecting through a slot formed in the door, a housing secured to the outside of the door covering said arm and slot, a vertically slidable bolt mounted on the inside of the door having a slot receiving the end of said arm, and an operating handle on said shaft.

3. In combination with a sheet metal con- 'tainer having a sheet metal door hinged at oneside on a vertical axis, a housing secured tothe outside of the door having a bearing in one side, a bearing secured to the door adjacent the edge thereof horizontally aligned with said first mentioned bearing, a shaft rotatable in said bearings having a crank portion projecting beyond the edge of the door, a keeper secured to the container having a downwardly opening hook portion adapted to receive said crank and having an abutment opposite the hook adapted to be engaged by said crankf when the shaft has been rotated through a predetermined angle from looking position, an arm secured to the end of said shaft projecting into the housing 1 and extending through a slot formed in the door, a vertically slidable boltmounted on the inside of the door operatively connected to said arm, and an operating handle on the v shaft between said bearings.

4:. A door lock comprising in combination, a shaft j ournaled in transversely aligned bearings secured to the outside of the door and having a crank portion projecting beyond the edge of the door, a keeper secured to the frame adjacent the door opening adapted to receive the crank, a slidable bolt mounted on the inside of the door and operatively connected to said shaft, the outer end of said bolt being adapted to engage the door frame and lock the door, an operating handle rotatable and slidable on said shaft, and means for clutching the handle to the shaft to unlock the door, the handle being slidable to disengage the clutch and permit the handle to be turned down fiat against the door after it has performed its unlocking function.

5. A door lock comprising in combination a shaft journaled in transversely aligned bearings secured to the outside of the door and having an eccentric portion projectingbeyond the edge of the door, a bolt mounted on .the inside of the door and operatively connected to said shaft, the outer end of said bolt being adapted to engage the door frame and lock the door, an abutment on the door frame engaged by the eccentric portion of formed with a transverse bearing in one side, a bearing secured to the door near the edge thereof, a shaft journaled in said bearings formed with a crank portion projecting beyond the edge of the door, a keeper secured to the container adjacent the door opening 1 adapted to receive said crank, a vertically clutching the handle to said shaft, the handle being slidable to disengage said clutching means so thatthe handle can be rotated rela-.

tively to the shaft. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

' FREDERICK, K. FILDES.

said shaft when the latter has been rotated through a predetermined angle from itsv locking position, and a handle operatively connected to said shaft, the parts bein so constructed that when said shaft has een turned through said predetermined angle that it can be easily swung open by pulling i on the handle.

6. In combination with a sheet metal freight container of the kind described, a

' sheetmetal door hin ed on a vertical axis, a

housing secured to t e outside, of the door 

